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State representative candidate Shamed Dogan, a Republican running in the south St. Louis County district being vacated by Neal St. Onge, is holding a fundraiser tonight at 6:00 PM at Mandarin, 44 Maryland Plaza, in the Central West End.
For your $25 ticket, you will receive two free drinks during the event, and Mandarin is offering specials for those who hang out afterwards.
Hubbard Fundraiser to Feature Hip-Hop and Political Heavyweights
By Antonio D. French
Filed
Monday, December 17, 2007 at 1:30 PM
State Rep. Rodney Hubbard*, a candidate for the 5th District state senate seat soon to be vacated by the term-limited Sen. Maida Coleman, is holding one of the largest political fundraisers of the year this week.
National recording artist Nelly and his band of St. Lunatics are expected to make appearances, as are hometown rappers Jibbs and Vic Damone. Local political heavyweights, former mayor Freeman Bosley, Jr.; Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce; Aldermanic President Lewis Reed; and License Collector Mike McMillan, headline the host committee.
"We're trying to really bring our region's successful young hip-hop entrepreneurs into the political arena," said Hubbard, who at 35 years-old considers himself part of the hip-hop generation.
"I appreciate the support of these artists who could spend their Thursday night anywhere in the world," said Hubbard. "To come home to St. Louis to support my senate campaign means a lot."
Congressman Lacy Clay, who has endorsed Hubbard, and Dr. Ben Chavis, former head of the national NAACP and president of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, are also expected at the event. Chavis, who co-founded the Hip-Hop Summit with Russell Simmons, is a longtime supporter of Hubbard and of involving the hip-hop generation more in the political process.
The event will be Thursday night, from 9:00 until midnight, at J. Bucks, 1000 Clark Ave. in downtown St. Louis. Tickets are open to the general public at just $25. Tickets to an 8:00 VIP event are $100.
Listen to the radio commercial:
Here's the invitation. Click to enlarge.
* Rodney Hubbard is a client of A D French and Associates (campaign management)
Carpenters Endorse Steelman, Black Businessmen Throwing Fundraiser
By Antonio D. French
Filed
Tuesday, November 27, 2007 at 6:11 PM
State Treasurer Sarah Steelman announced today that the Carpenters’ District Council of Greater St. Louis had endorsed her re-election bid.
"We don't normally endorse candidates before the filing date closes, but we decided to make an exception in this race because Sarah Steelman has demonstrated the qualities we expect from our elected officials," said Terry Nelson, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Council.
Steelman is also receiving the support of a group of St. Louis African-American businessmen.
David Stewart, of Worldwide Technology; Charles Kirkwood, of Midwestern Construction; entrepreneur and political operative Tim Person; and former state representative Sherman Parker are hosting a fundraiser for Steelman on December 12.
The event will be at the offices of Midwestern, 1415 Mullanphy, from 4:30 to 6:30 PM.
St. Louis Congressman Lacy Clay was all smiles Friday night as he and visiting House majority whip Congressman James E. Clyburn (D-SC) helped raised over $100,000 for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. The fundraiser was held at the home of Bob and Ellen Clark. Bob Clark is the founder, chairman and CEO of Clayco Construction Company.
Pictured are Lewis McKinney, an executive with Anheuser-Busch, James Clyburn and Clay.
TOO MUCH FUN INDICTING - U.S. Attorney and former Speaker of the Missouri House Catherine Hanaway says she is not going to run for Attorney General, leaving the path to the Republican nomination clear for Kirkwood Senator Mike Gibbons, who'll be making his official announcement Saturday Morning. On the Democratic side, the word is that the blue candidates (even the recently-turned-blue frontrunner Chris Koster) like their chances against Gibbons much better than Hanaway.
ALL ABOUT THE BENJAMINS - Next week is going to be all about who's got the duckets and from whom said duckets came. After raising $121,738 in the last three months, Lt. Gov candidate Sam Page now has a reported $350,000 in the bank. After raising just $1,675 this quarter, possible state senate candidate Tom Villa now has $27K on hand. As we reported earlier, Shamed Dogan raised over $12,000 this quarter.
CALLING ALL POETS - Matt Blunt is looking for a poet laureate for Missouri, and he wants your help. Citizens have until December 1st to nominate their fellow Missourians for the position. The laureate is responsible for promoting arts in Missouri through appearances at libraries and schools. Click here to submit your favorite local wordsmith.
Missouri Attorney General candidate Margaret Donnelly is holding her first St. Louis fundraiser tonight at 8025 Maryland Avenue. The event starts at 5:30.
So far, over 150 people are co-hosting the event. The cost for the evening is $1,275 for hosts, $500 for sponsors and $250 for friends.
UPDATE: Not really the ideal way to end a fundraiser (From the Political Fix):
So packed that the event set off the fire alarm.
The ear-splitting sound came just as folks continued to eat and right before the speeches. The upshot: all those who were able had to walk down 18 flights of stairs. Donnelly, D-Richmond Heights, stayed on the roof with those who couldn’t.
Collector of Revenue Gregory F.X. Daly is known for his sharp dress and smooth style, and tonight for only $500 you too can be a Cool Cat like F.X. himself.
Daly is hosting a jazz-themed fundraiser tonight Steinberg Rink in Forest Park. Those who contribute $50 can call themselves "Hipsters"; $250 get you to the "Daddy-O" stage; and real players can skip the $500 "Cool Cat" level and jump right to "18 Karat" heights for a mere $1,275.
The shindig begins at 5:30 and ends at 7:30, which seems pretty early for hipsters and Daddy-Os.
The State Supreme Court has restored limits on campaign contributions. But it has left up in the air, at least for now, if those large donations must be returned — something that is next to impossible to fully occur considering how much money candidates have already spent (Pssst, if you haven't already spent it, do it fast!).
The court ruled in favor of Webster Groves Democrat James Trout, who filed his case challenging the lifting of limits after losing his campaign for state rep last year. We sat down with Trout back in January to talk about his lawsuit.
It's important to note that the court's ruling was unanimous and was written by conservative judge Stephen Limbaugh.
One additional thought: You can't give it back if it's already spent (hint-hint). Have you ever seen the movie "Brewster's Millions"?
Add another $1.6 million to Matt Blunt's total cash raised. After spending almost $400,000 in the last three months, the governor had about $5.8 million in the bank as of June 30.
$100,000 from the Republican Governor's Assoc. $50,000 from AT&T $50,000 from Muneer Satter, a Goldman Sachs employee in Chicago. $50,000 from Harold Simmons in Dallas, TX $10,000 here... $25,000 there... You get the picture.
Compared to Blunt's 98-page campaign finance report, Jay Nixon's 312 pages seems like a phone book. But size isn't everything and though Nixon clearly had many more individual donors, Blunt's big check writers again proved decisive.
Nixon raised a little more than half what Blunt did in the same period, roughly $950,000, but spent $50,000 more, leaving him with $2.5 million.
The A.G. Race
State Senator Mike Gibbons, candidate for Attorney General, raised $106,000, spent $43,000 and has $158,000 in the bank.
State Senator Chris Koster, another AG candidate, raised $157,000 to add to the half-million he already had in the bank. After expenses, $644,000 cash on hand.
It is a favorite political pastime to watch the financial accomplishments of those thoroughbreds of political fundraising; the Blunts, Slays and McMillans of the political world. But with the end of contribution limits, what was once a horse race is now more like NASCAR.
This post will be updated throughout the day with updated numbers. Stay tuned.
The Race for Governor
We're still waiting for Governor Matt Blunt's and Jay Nixon's July reports to post. But on his April campaign finance report, Blunt proved this was indeed a whole new world by raising $2.9 million with the help of numerous $25,000, $50,000 (one from a happy "homemaker" in Monett), and $100,000 donors.
The 5th Senate
The rumor was true, by raising an eye-popping $111,011.54 last quarter, State Rep. Rodney Hubbard* removed any doubt that he is the frontrunner in the race to succeed State Sen. Maida Coleman.
According to his report, Hubbard transferred $11,886.54 from his state rep. committee and got large donations from Rex Sinquefield ($30,000) and License Collector Mike McMillan ($10,000). Much of the rest of Hubbard's money came from dozens of $25 and $50 contributions from local supporters.
As we reported last week, State Rep. Tom Villa, who is also running, raised just $500. State Rep. Robin Wright Jones', another possible candidate, report has not been posted yet. *Hubbard is a client of A D French & Associates
UPDATE: Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder raised $347,015 last quarter, bringing his total cash on hand (after spending $36,000) to just over $400,000. Notable names on his report: Kwame Building Group ($2,000), Paul McKee and his McEagle Properties ($5,000 plus a $1,856.58 in-kind donation), and Steve Stogel ($2,000).
In an effort to make Pub Def even better, we recently announced two new internships that will allow two important and exciting things:
1) Expansion of coverage. If you think it sometimes seems like we're in two places at once, wait until we actually are!
2) Pass on our tools and techniques to a new generation of citizen journalists. We can't do this forever and someone's going to have to take the baton.
Last week Pub Def received its first donation ever via that little "Make a Donation" button to the left. It was for $75 (15% of an intern's monthly stipend). A few days later we received another unsolicited donation. This one was for $25. Together, that $100 is going to pay for about a week of coverage from a Pub Def intern! So thank you very much.
Without sounding too much like NPR, let us just point out that the Kansas City Star has just launched a for-pay political blog (subscriptions are $395 a year). We want to keep Pub Def free, but we also want to keep Pub Def around. So if you value our content, think about making a donation every now and then. Even if it's just $5 (that's 1% of an intern's stipend!), it helps.
Sitting in the corner of a busy St. Louis Bread Company, James Trout recently talked to Pub Def about his lawsuit that has resulted in Cole County Circuit Judge Richard Callahan temporarily blocking the new ban on fundraising during the legislative session.
A hearing will be held on Friday, March 2, to determine whether to make the ban permanent and to throw out the rest of the campaign finance law, including the elimination of contribution limits.
The owners of the German-style restaurant The St. Louis Gast Haus will be hosting a fundraiser for Lewis Reed's Aldermanic President campaign next week.
Ann Sueme, and Bill, Maritza, Carmen, and Ed Stock will be hosting the event on Monday, December 11, from 5:30 to 8:00 PM at their restauranta at 1740 Chouteau. Requested contributions are between $50 and $1,275.
Organizers called tonight's first annual Landmark's Association auction a success.
The auction, which was at the Coronado on Lindell Blvd., featured items ranging from vacation getaways to a scooter that gives more than a 100 miles per gallon to a set of 10 historic postcards featuring current and former St. Louis landmarks (that one was scooped up by yours truly).
Two of the night's more political items were snatched up by two of the event's organizers.
Carolyn Toft, Landmark's director, was the highest bidder at $250 on a "behind the scenes" tour of the State Capitol by State Rep. Tom Villa (D-108). And for $150, auction organizer Marcia Behrendt was the winner of a lunch for four with former Mayor Vince Schoemehl in Grand Center.
So what is Marcia going to talk to Vince about over lunch? "I haven't had time to even think about it," she said.
Pols were busy last night, bouncing between fundraisers for Comptroller Darlene Green and Alderman (and yet unannounced candidate for Aldermanic President) Lewis Reed.
Fatigue and a too long neglected personal life wouldn't allow PUB DEF to photograph the events, but the following details were pieced together from sources in attendance.
Reed's fundraiser was hosted by the Gate District neighborhood organization at the home of its president, Mr. Steve Zeiger. And while Reed made no formal announcement of his future plans, it was clearly understood by all what endeavor the night's donations would be going to.
State Rep. Robin Wright Jones made that very clear when she introduced Reed to the crowd as "the next President of the Board."
Others spotted in the crowd included Aldermen Donna Baringer (16th Ward), Freeman Bosley, Sr. (3rd Ward), Dionne Flowers (2nd Ward), Jennifer Florida (15th Ward), Stephen Gregali (14th Ward), and Mike McMillan (19th Ward). Even former Ald. Kenny Jones came out to support his old colleague.
Committeeman Patrick Cacchione and former Congressional Aide Kacie Starr Triplett, both candidates looking to be the next alderman from the 6th Ward, were also in attendance.
Not too far away, in Forest Park, Comptroller Green was raising some cash of her own.
Spotted in the park's Norman K. Probstein Golf Center were former Mayor Freeman Bosley, Jr., Aldermen Mike McMillan (busy man) and Frank Williamson (26th Ward), soon-to-be State Rep. Jamilah Nasheed (60th District), and Marlene Davis, the frontrunner to be the next alderman from the 19th Ward.
Jeff Smith, the Democratic nominee for state senator from St. Louis' 4th District, held a fundraiser Thursday at the Regional Arts Commission on Delmar Ave. just three weeks before his uncontested general election.
According to Smith's last campaign finance report, his campaign raised $268,350.06 in his August 8 primary win, more than any of his four opponents. The campaign spent $214,393.51 as of Sept 2 and had a respectable $44,567.18 left in the bank.
Aldermanic Board President Jim Shrewsbury held a fundraiser on Thursday at The Royale, a popular southside bar, and PUB DEF's camera was on the scene. See more photos from the event at www.pubdef.net/photos/shrewsbury_party.
State representative candidate Shamed Dogan, a Republican running in the south St. Louis County district being vacated by Neal St. Onge, is holding a fundraiser tonight at 6:00 PM at Mandarin, 44 Maryland Plaza, in the Central West End.
